Approved for FY25 funding under PLCI project.
Obstacles to adult lamprey spawning migrations are a leading cause of lamprey population losses worldwide. Throughout the Pacific Northwest, large hydropower and flood control dams limit or completely block upstream migration of Pacific Lamprey, which has greatly reduced lamprey abundance and distribution in several Regional Management Units (RMUs), particularly in (but not limited to) the Upper Columbia River and Snake Basins. Consequently, protocols for adult T&H are needed to improve Pacific Lamprey distribution and abundance upstream of dams to address both interim passage needs and, in some cases, long-term permanent passage. The document will be based on collaboration with multiple parties conducting Trap & Haul (T&H) in the Columbia River Basin, including tribes and hydropower companies. Columbia River tribal biologists use T&H in support of adult lamprey translocation programs, which will be the basis for much of this document. The final draft document will be reviewed by collaborators and the Lamprey Technical Workgroup, prior to distribution.

The goal of the project is to develop a publicly available document that provides the most up-to-date information on adult Pacific Lamprey trap-and-haul methods (T&H), including appropriate guidelines for their safe transport and examples of practical applications. The primary objectives are to 1) collaborate with and assemble information from all practitioners of lamprey T&H and from the literature, 2) develop guidelines for T&H, and 3) publicly share this information to assist with T&H operations. T&H information will be synthesized, and case studies will be provided to illustrate examples of T&H operations, their successes and potential pitfalls.